Low Cost African Trip, Dad Take Your Kid?

[AB2506]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

You need to talk to more South Africans, people who left while they could. Unlike Mexico, where you're dealing with cartels, the violence is totally random. Biggest hazard with the cartels is wrong place at the wrong time or you see something you shouldn't have. Go to the Accurate Reloading forum and check out African hunting for some horror stories, starting with arrival at the airport, where cars are followed and the occupants are carjacked and robbed. No guarantees your luggage hasn't been pilfered either.

Grizz

https://globalnews.ca/news/4086237/a...edium=Facebook

[AB2506]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Are you seeing that just in SA? I am not a big fan of the idea of going hunting there. Its the fences and buying of animals that seems to bug me. I wonder what Namibia is like?

I think you need to learn more about hunting in South Africa.

[mcreg]

I've had the good fortune of hunting Africa several times. I've hunted S. Africa as well as Namibia / Botswana and Zimbabwe. The S. African expereince was on private land and was definetely high fence! However, in saying that the properites were massive, ranging form 150,000 ha - 250,000 ha. (176ha/sq.mile!). Once we were on the properties the fences we seen were the same 3-4 wire cattle fences that we seen in the other countries. The game was no "easier" to hunt than in the other countires. And although, lion was not on our list (we hunted plains game) they were on a couple of the properies. And on these properties, the PH's carried rifles (.375 min) capable of stopping them just in case, whereas on the propeties without lions the PH' carried .257 or similiar. the "black" skinners etc were aslo noticably nervous when attending to the game we harvested on these properties.
Perhaps it was all for show, but if it was it was quite a production!
As for S. Africa being safe? According to my friends we hunt with over there, Johannasberg (and Cape Town) are increasingly NOT safe, due to the influx of Immigrans fleaing other war torn countries, but the back countyy is still safe. ALL have recommended avaoiding Zimbabwe, due to the political unrest.
Good luck to anyone seeking to take avantage of the GREAT DEALS over there!But remember everything is in USD and our dollar is losing ground ever day!

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by AB2506

https://globalnews.ca/news/4086237/a...edium=Facebook

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ville-20171024

Grizz

[AB2506]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...ville-20171024

Grizz

Like Mcreg said, keep away from the big cities, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Best money I spent is having the company that had my rifle permit preapproved, provide a meet and greet service. Every time I stepped off the plane in Johannesburg, they were there and escorted us through immigration, police inspections and they took us right to our hotel (City Lodge). When we had a lengthy layover in Joburg, they provided a driver for the day. Functioned as a tour guide as we travelled around the city.

Well worth the money.

[scruffy]

Originally Posted by AB2506

Like Mcreg said, keep away from the big cities, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Best money I spent is having the company that had my rifle permit preapproved, provide a meet and greet service. Every time I stepped off the plane in Johannesburg, they were there and escorted us through immigration, police inspections and they took us right to our hotel (City Lodge). When we had a lengthy layover in Joburg, they provided a driver for the day. Functioned as a tour guide as we travelled around the city.

Well worth the money.

That is most excellent advice.

I had lunch with a great amigo on Friday who has just returned from his third trip to South Africa. As always, he and his lady had a wonderful time and whacked a whole bunch of very cool animals including a pair of sable, red lechwe, mtn. zebra etc.

He had no problems with security but obviously, if a person does - it is major !!!

On the lions .... I just read that only about a hundred wild lions are shot a year now by trophy hunters ... and maybe three hundred more or less of the pen raised ones in South Africa.

I have only hunted wild ones and of all the hunting that I have done - nothing else compares. To me. The prices now are obscene and way beyond my reach.

Perhaps. Never say never ..

I wish that I could have hunted tiger but I was still in short pants when they shut it down forever. (maybe a bit older)

[mcreg]

Originally Posted by scruffy

That is most excellent advice.

I wish that I could have hunted tiger but I was still in short pants when they shut it down forever. (maybe a bit older)

Next time you're going to S. Africa, drop me a line. A friend of mine raises tigers for a conservation program to repopulate the species (in China). Although they are not huntable, still a memorable experience to see them in the wild - (or as close to as possible).
He has been featured on Nat'l Geographic at least three times, if you watch that channel!

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by scruffy

I wish that I could have hunted tiger but I was still in short pants when they shut it down forever. (maybe a bit older)

If you ever do want to hunt a tiger let me know. I know a guy that knows a guy. Although definitely not the same as hunting them in India back in the 40’s and 50’s this is the only way it will likely ever be done !

You can’t bring him home of course, but the memory is yours to keep

[scruffy]

This is fascinating. I suppose that I am a world class hypocrite with my thoughts on wild lions yet if I owned ten thousand acres in South Africa I would love to stock it with a few tigers.

To the donkey lovers of the world, I suppose that I would fill the place up with $80 donkeys to cavort in the bush rather that $5,000 sables. (I have my reasons)

In 1980 I stopped at Nico van Rooyen taxidermy in Pretoria. I had a great visit with the dude who had hunted all over the world including stone sheep in B.C. Somewhere I have a slide of me standing by three mounted cats leaping. A big black maned lion that was your canned variety, a sparsely maned lion that was your regular wild cat, and a beautiful tiger. I was told that the tiger cost the guy who shot it $7,000 U.S.

A bit more that twenty years later a fellow from White River told me the saga of that episode but sadly, I can not remember the details any more. Pity.

Nico van Rooyen was murdered in his own house.

The chap who told me of the tiger was ambushed one day while he and his lady were in their bakkie. His wife, Linda, was slightly injured as she hit the floor. He fell out of the driver's side. Away from the shooter on the hill. In the back of his truck he had a tool box with a (believe it or not) a 28 gauge Westly Richards that was broken down to fit the box. A few minutes later the shooter came down to look in the passenger window to see who he had shot. My friend shot him in the back with the 28gauge. The guy took off but he heard that he did die.

Their daughter and husband were the victims of a break in with the husband being shot in the hand. As they were taking Debbie upstairs she managed to get into a bedroom and phoned the cops.

His son was laid up in bed with Malaria or something in Mozambique where he lives. A bad guy broke into his house so he promptly shot the burglar dead.

I was eating lemon meringue pie with icecream with this family as they recounted these stories to me..

Yikes! The old guy who was shot in the hand was a very wealthy South African who supplied the funding for the famous Baron Werner von Alvensleben of Mozambique fame..

Great stories when you go on safari. Much more interesting than my white tail doe ones..

[sdkidaho]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

I can get a Cape buffalo with day fees for under $6K, that’s just crazy. With the US dollar high, and sales down now is the time to go. Bargain hard and write the cheque folks. It’s awesome over there

I'd be interested to find out about that hunt.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by sdkidaho

I'd be interested to find out about that hunt.

Yes sir, I’m sure more then a few people would too.

You’ll have to keep your eye out on the cancellation pages of the African forums and get in touch with some Outfitters.

[ABLT7]

SCI Calgary is having their fundraiser on April 21. Bidding at their live auction will also be online at the same time. Here is a link to their hunts that are up for auction.

http://www.onlinehuntingauctions.com...hapter_as50440

[calgarychef]

Taking your kid to Africa? We did and they had a blast, ours were young and at night while the adults were finishing supper and chatting they would drag out mattresses and the kids would curl up beside the fire until we were ready for bed.